The Regional Secretary for Agriculture and Forestry highlighted today the "various benefits" that the Agricultural Service Station in Santo António, São Miguel Island, will bring to nearly 400 farmers. They will be covered by the services to be provided by this unit located on the northern coast of Ponta Delgada.
 
"It will greatly facilitate the lives of farmers," said João Ponte at the opening ceremony. According to him, it is a "first-generation station that provides all kinds of services requested by farmers, from the preparation of applications to support measures to all other types of cases involving this activity."
 
John Ponte stressed that the opening of this Station "falls within the policies pursued by the Regional Government towards greater proximity to farmers."
 
"In this specific case, it also avoids travel, loss of time and fuels costs as farmers no longer need to travel to other parts of São Miguel Island," said the government official.
 
The new Agriculture Service Station arises from a partnership with the Parish Council of Santo António, which provided the space and carried out the works "so that it could serve this agricultural community; the latter is very important to São Miguel as well as to the development of the Region," highlighted João Ponte.
 
For the Regional Secretary, this is "a good example of the role that the Local Power should assume; it is not limited to make claims but rather to take action.”
 
In this regard, the government official stressed that it was up to the Regional Government "to respond to these claims, which are more than justified."
 
This is the seventh Agricultural Service Stations that the Azorean Government opens on the island of São Miguel. The Regional Secretary pointed out that the six stations already in operation register about 120 thousand movements per year, which reflects the importance of these stations in providing essential services to the agricultural sector.
 
João Ponte addressed to the farmers attending the opening, ensuring that the "Azorean Government has closely monitored the situation of the dairy sector."
 
"There are positive signs from markets, but we have to wait to see whether this is a short-term or sustainable situation. Some industries on São Miguel have the increased the price of milk paid to producers by one cent, but there is still a long way to go for these positive signs of markets to be reflected on all Azorean producers," said João Ponte.
 
The Regional Government of the Azores continues to mobilise all the resources at its disposal, including Community funds, to support farmers overcoming the constraints affecting the sector.
 
"We have to invest in the search for new markets as well as in the promotion of excellence in the quality of milk, dairy products and meat," defended João Ponte. According to him, "it is easier to overcome the challenges if we stand united and cohesive in the defence of the agricultural sector and the development of the Region."